With the reboot and revival of vinyl
records, Soda Stream (recently bought by
Pepsi), the Polaroid camera, shell and
boiler suits (rebranded as ‘utility’) and
break dancing, proposed as an Olympic
sport in Paris 2024, the current haze of
1970s and 80s nostalgia is thicker than the
moody mist in Prince’s Purple Rain video.
As we reach for a safe, wistful rock in
turbulent times, it may be time to don a
Tom Selleck moustache, kipper tie and
woolly tank top, although, so far, these
fashion styles haven’t quite reached the
current male card designs that are
sporting the retro trend.
Some ‘Time Bandits’ publishers reveal
why they feel 70s/80s icons are ‘flaring’
up on male card designs.

Showcasing British menswear, London
Fashion Week Men’s catwalk in
January, strutting Autumn/Winter 2019
collections, had a flavour of 70s, 80s
and even 90s revival. Not to be
outdone by women’s bellbottom flares,
hippy midi dresses and cord skirts, for
men there was a distinct 80s tailoring
with over-size coats in checks, plaids
and tartans and smart suits - think
Michael Douglas in the 1987 film Wall Street.
And also ‘brokering’ this visual and emotive market of retro
icons are male card designs.
"I think nostalgia has a huge
part to play when it comes to us
blokes. Most of us have fond
memories relating to the
70s/80s/90s, ranging from
video games through to mix
tapes. You just have to think of
the vinyl revival and the retro
Above left: An old skool beat box from
Lola Design’s Rocky range.
Right: Think of Me’s Zephyr male range
has lots of retro gadget designs.
Left: Vinyl revival – a new addition to
Rosanna Rossi Debonair range.

36

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE

Right: The purple
popstar, Prince, on a
Tango Rose Designs’
Icons card.
Below: New from Molly
Mae in the ‘It Rocks’
range are designs for
male birthdays.

arcade games you see when
you visit a Brew Dog pub or
Urban Outfitters,” believes
Frank Mountain,
operations director for
Lola Design, adding, “We
decided to take a slightly
retro direction with some of
our Rocky male cards based
on what we think is cool,
because not all blokes are
into golf and fishing. Our
beat box design is a bit of a homage to the old skool, think Beastie
Boys, and who doesn't love a good mix tape?"
So rewinding to those heady days of beat box breaks and
Walkman music mobility, BMX bunny hops, Raleigh racer cool and
Chopper cruising, and not forgetting Subbuteo goal triumphs, rainy
caravan holidays in Wales and VW Campervans, there’s a
vintage valley of childhood memories to tap into for male
orientated iconography on cards.
“I think essentially the retro 70s and 80s trend is
about taking us back to our childhood. Birthdays, and
birthday cards, are all about marking the passing of time,
so retro imagery lends itself well. It’s also true that guys
love their gadgets, so retro tech, such as cassette tapes
and Polaroid cameras, seemed like a good fit for some of
the designs in our new male range Zephyr,” says Dan
Kane, managing director of
Think of Me Designs.
Splurging our pocket
money on the cherry eating
boom of 80s computer and arcade
games, such as Donkey Kong, PacMan, Track & Field and Pole Position,
just as the video games themselves,
life seemed much simpler then, and
although it’s probably not true, it’s
fun, even poignant, to reflect on joint
childhood experiences.
“With technology advancing so
rapidly, and with the popularity of
such things as music-streaming services and digital
photography, it’s fun to be reminded of what went before, and how
we physically interacted with it in a way that just isn’t possible with
today’s technology,” says Dan.